Narrative:

After pushback and engine start I discovered the aft fuel pump for tank 1 (left wing) was inoperative. According to the MEL our choices were to repair the pump or add 45000 pounds to the required fuel. The company decided that I should add the 45000 pounds to keep the aircraft on schedule. The required fuel was 133000 pounds adding 45000 pounds made 178000 pounds. I told the fuelers to bring the fuel up to 180000 pounds. I requested a new computer flight plan reflecting the new fuel load. The onboard cargo load had not been touched. The MEL called for adding 45000 pounds to the required fuel. It did not say to land with the 45000 pounds. I knew I had enough fuel for the original flight plan and that I would burn some of the 45000 pounds. We were trying to get back on schedule. The new flight plan finally arrived. I checked that the time en route was the same, the routing was the same and that the fuel load was shown as 180000 pounds. Since nothing else had changed on the aircraft, I felt the aircraft had enough fuel and we were behind schedule. I signed the flight plan and left, but the dispatcher had (inadvertently) changed the flight plan and I did not catch it. He had: 1) shown the extra fuel as ballast fuel which is carried in the auxiliary tank, not the mains and shown as part of the payload in the ZFW. 2) he should have shown the fuel as being as MEL fuel. 3) without being told to do so, he had reduced the cargo payload by 45000 pounds so that the ZFW was still the same with the 45000 pounds of extra fuel, include the gross takeoff weight was now 45000 pounds low and the fuel burn off did not reflect the increased gross takeoff weight. A new weight and balance arrived. It was correct. It showed the correct fuel load (180000 pounds) and the correct increased takeoff weight. I have included the fuel portion of the old and the new flight plan. After takeoff we discovered the errors. We contacted dispatch and explained the problem. They had been unaware of it. En route from anc-ewr the ewr WX deteriorated and the company diverted us to ord to await improved WX. Both legs were uneventful. I apologize for using this note paper but I am on the road.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ADMITS HAVING DEPARTED WITH ERRONEOUS WT AND BAL RESULTING FROM INTERP OF MEL ADDED FUEL FOR MAIN FUEL BOOST PUMP INOP.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK AND ENG START I DISCOVERED THE AFT FUEL PUMP FOR TANK 1 (L WING) WAS INOP. ACCORDING TO THE MEL OUR CHOICES WERE TO REPAIR THE PUMP OR ADD 45000 LBS TO THE REQUIRED FUEL. THE COMPANY DECIDED THAT I SHOULD ADD THE 45000 LBS TO KEEP THE ACFT ON SCHEDULE. THE REQUIRED FUEL WAS 133000 LBS ADDING 45000 LBS MADE 178000 LBS. I TOLD THE FUELERS TO BRING THE FUEL UP TO 180000 LBS. I REQUESTED A NEW COMPUTER FLT PLAN REFLECTING THE NEW FUEL LOAD. THE ONBOARD CARGO LOAD HAD NOT BEEN TOUCHED. THE MEL CALLED FOR ADDING 45000 LBS TO THE REQUIRED FUEL. IT DID NOT SAY TO LAND WITH THE 45000 LBS. I KNEW I HAD ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN AND THAT I WOULD BURN SOME OF THE 45000 LBS. WE WERE TRYING TO GET BACK ON SCHEDULE. THE NEW FLT PLAN FINALLY ARRIVED. I CHKED THAT THE TIME ENRTE WAS THE SAME, THE RTING WAS THE SAME AND THAT THE FUEL LOAD WAS SHOWN AS 180000 LBS. SINCE NOTHING ELSE HAD CHANGED ON THE ACFT, I FELT THE ACFT HAD ENOUGH FUEL AND WE WERE BEHIND SCHEDULE. I SIGNED THE FLT PLAN AND LEFT, BUT THE DISPATCHER HAD (INADVERTENTLY) CHANGED THE FLT PLAN AND I DID NOT CATCH IT. HE HAD: 1) SHOWN THE EXTRA FUEL AS BALLAST FUEL WHICH IS CARRIED IN THE AUX TANK, NOT THE MAINS AND SHOWN AS PART OF THE PAYLOAD IN THE ZFW. 2) HE SHOULD HAVE SHOWN THE FUEL AS BEING AS MEL FUEL. 3) WITHOUT BEING TOLD TO DO SO, HE HAD REDUCED THE CARGO PAYLOAD BY 45000 LBS SO THAT THE ZFW WAS STILL THE SAME WITH THE 45000 LBS OF EXTRA FUEL, INCLUDE THE GROSS TKOF WT WAS NOW 45000 LBS LOW AND THE FUEL BURN OFF DID NOT REFLECT THE INCREASED GROSS TKOF WT. A NEW WT AND BAL ARRIVED. IT WAS CORRECT. IT SHOWED THE CORRECT FUEL LOAD (180000 LBS) AND THE CORRECT INCREASED TKOF WT. I HAVE INCLUDED THE FUEL PORTION OF THE OLD AND THE NEW FLT PLAN. AFTER TKOF WE DISCOVERED THE ERRORS. WE CONTACTED DISPATCH AND EXPLAINED THE PROB. THEY HAD BEEN UNAWARE OF IT. ENRTE FROM ANC-EWR THE EWR WX DETERIORATED AND THE COMPANY DIVERTED US TO ORD TO AWAIT IMPROVED WX. BOTH LEGS WERE UNEVENTFUL. I APOLOGIZE FOR USING THIS NOTE PAPER BUT I AM ON THE ROAD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.